Happy May – It’s My One Year Cancerversary!
This year seems to be flying by. I am excited to celebrate that I have been cancer-free for one year this month! As a way to celebrate, I am committing to a few goals. I will share one with you now, and then, as I reach my goals, I will share them later, so please keep following as I endeavor to overcome and transverse.
The first goal is to finish my Master of Theology degree. I am currently on track to finish in June of this year. My challenging hurdle will be to complete my dissertation, but I am also excited because of the nature of the assignment given by my college professor. It will tie in with my second goal, which I am slowly starting to work on. I’ll reveal more about that later. I’m so excited!
Tips for Expressing Gratitude
Gratitude is not only recognizing the kindness we have been given but also expressing your appreciation.
Cultivating gratitude strengthens relationships and improves overall health, enhancing awareness of small victories. It helps overcome obstacles like jealousy, anxiety, and depression. Expressing gratitude to those who help strengthens the immune system, improves sleep, and reduces loneliness.
Below is a list of ways to practice daily gratitude. You can choose to implement all of them or start with one and gradually add more.
- Keep a gratitude journal.
Create a daily routine to remind yourself of the blessings of life. I take a few minutes each night to jot down three to five blessings from that day. You can do this in a notebook, journal, or even an app on your phone.
- Write Thank-You notes
There is great value in writing handwritten thank-you notes for gifts or gestures of kindness, not only for the writer but also for the recipient. Besides, it is the right thing to do. Expressing your gratitude lets others know how appreciative you are and can make someone else’s day. It is also good for the brain. In the technological world of social media, email, and texting at our fingertips, there is no good excuse as to why you couldn’t express thanks.
- Create a gratitude jar
You can either buy a decorative jar or decorate an empty jar at home and store it somewhere accessible. When something good happens, write it down on paper, fold it, and put it in the jar. You can choose to do this daily or weekly. You can take time throughout the year to read your notes and remind yourself of the positive things in your life.
- Make use of visual reminders
You can remind yourself to practice appreciation throughout the day with visual cues. For instance, you can have plaques or pictures in your home or office with the word “gratitude,” or you can place them on a sticky note on your computer monitor. You can even set a reminder on your phone to take time to practice gratitude at a set time each day.
- Avoid suppressing your negative emotions
Practicing gratitude doesn’t require suppressing negative thoughts; instead, focus on what you are currently grateful for while still acknowledging that life isn’t perfect.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Developing a Grateful Heart Biblically
The Bible is filled with scriptures that encourage us to be grateful to God for what He has accomplished and to cherish the people and blessings in our lives.
When we practice gratitude, we develop a more positive mindset.
The Bible provides us with a wealth of examples of thankfulness in action, demonstrating to us that despite life’s obstacles, we are still capable of finding reasons to be grateful.
1 Chronicles 16:8-12
Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.
Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.
Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
Give thanks unto the LORD –
In the above passage, David is giving an exhortation to God’s people to join in giving praises to God. In this and the following verses (vs 8-12), He gives a list of ways we can praise Him:
- Call upon His name
- Make known His deeds
- Sing to Him
- Talk of His wondrous works
- Glory in His name
- Let those that seek Him rejoice
- Seek the Lord
- Remember His marvelous works
When we take the time to consider God’s kindness in our lives, we become grateful; yet, when we forget, we get resentful and complain. Just saying “Thank You” is insufficient when it comes to giving God thanks. When we are thankful, we consider the wonderful things He has done for us. He has provided us with Jesus, the Bible to read, and prayer so that we can communicate with Him at any moment. Remembering everything God has already given us will help us to remain grateful even in trials and hardships.
O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Psalm 107:1
The Hebrew word “Dayenu” translates to “It would have been enough.” This Hebrew song tells the story of Exodus at the Passover. In each stanza of the hymn, God bestows blessings upon the Jewish people both during and after the Exodus. “Dayenu” ends each stanza. In essence, this song teaches that gratitude turns what we have into enough and more.
Always remember that God loves you and that you are fearfully and wonderfully made!
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I hope that as you journal God’s promises this month; you will sense His presence within you, beside you, and all around. May you always be aware of His presence.
You can download a copy of the monthly plan here:
https://charitymaeprosper.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/JS.May_.pdf
Resources:
- Life Application Study Bible: King James Version. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2004. Print
- Henry, Matthew, 1662-1714. (1991). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: wherein each chapter is summed up in its contents: the sacred text inserted at large in distinct paragraphs; each paragraph reduced to its proper heads: the sense given, and largely illustrated with practical remarks and observations. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers,
- https://www.mindful.org/an-introduction-to-mindful-gratitude/
- https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/gratitude.htm
- https://christianityiq.com/bible-verses-about-appreciation-and-gratitude/
- https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/dayenu-it-would-have-been-enough/
